Ujjain: Mahakal, the God associated with time, is worshipped by several devotees worldwide. Ujjain's Mahakaleshwar temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, happens to be one of the twelve jyotirlingas. The Sanskrit word translates to the radiance given out from the linga form of the Lord. On October 11, the Madhya Pradesh-based temple, which has been redeveloped under the Mandir Parisar Vistar Yojna, shall be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Before the inauguration event scheduled this Tuesday, here are some key points about the redevelopment plan and the Mahakal corridor, an expansion project for the Mahakaleshwar temple.
Mandir Parisar Vistar Yojna explained
The redevelopment project, regarded as the Mahakal Maharaj Mandir Parisar Vistar Yojna, is reported to function in two phases. The initial phase of the project is what PM Modi will inaugurate in the next 24 hours. The project is believed to boost city tourism, in association to religious sites, from 1.5 lakhs to three crores.
The plan focuses on the expansion, beautification, and decongestion of the Mahakaleshwar temple and its adjoining area in Ujjain district. Reportedly, the Ujjain-based jyotirlinga temple premises—initially around 2.82 hectares—is being increased to 47 hectares. The expansion takes into account the 17 hectares of Rudrasagar lake.
Money matters
The total amount invested in the Mahakaleshwar temple corridor redevelopment project is reportedly about Rs. 800 crore. The government holds the idea of building a facility centre for devotees and pilgrims with an estimated budget of Rs. 23.90 crores.
Controversy that you can't ignore
A BJP vs Congress debate is on towards the credit over initiation of the Mahakal corridor project. Former Chief Minister Kamal Nath (Indian National Congress) claimed credit for the renovation of the corridor, claiming that construction began during his tenure.
Meanwhile, the BJP slammed the Congress party and pointed out that the conceptualization and design were planned out in 2017 during the administration of Shivraj Singh Chauhan, and the latter Congress government (in 2018) didn't intensively consider the plan.
Remembering Varnasi's redevelopment plan
Of the 84 active ghats in Varanasi, the government decided to renovate six of them—Khidkiya Ghat (Namo Ghat), Ahilyabai Ghat, Sheetla Ghat, Dashashwamedh Ghat, Rajendra Prasad Ghat, and Darbhanga Ghat.
“Namo Ghat is one of its kind. The first model is to make ghats in the city fully accessible to the differently-abled people and facilitate them with modern facilities," Dr D Vasudevan, Chief General Manager of the Varanasi Smart City was earlier quoted in reports.
However, the Mahakaleshar corridor is reportedly three times bigger than the redevelopments in the Kashi Vishwanath premises.
